Cadbury allegedly sent a legal notice to an Instagram influencer, Revant Himatsingka, following the widespread dissemination of his video criticising the promotion of Bournvita as a “health drink". The influencer promptly removed the post from all of his social media accounts. In the video, Mr. Himatsingka accused the brand of “miscommunication" regarding the product’s “nutritional value", and derided the assertions made on the packaging. He even suggested that the brand’s catchphrase “tayyari jeet ki" should be revised to “tayyari diabetes ki."
“Should the government allow companies to blatantly lie on their package?" asked Himatsingka, also known by his online moniker ‘Food Pharmer’, in the caption for his viral reel, which was extensively shared on platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn. He further added, “Parents are getting their children addicted to sugar at a young age, and the children end up craving sugar throughout their lives."
On April 9th, 2023, Cadbury Bournvita responded to the criticism with a statement on their social media handle. The company clarified, saying “Bournvita contains nutrients namely Vitamin A, C, D, Iron, Zinc, Copper and Selenium which help build immunity. These have been part of our formulation for several years. We have always called out ‘Helps with the healthy functioning of the immune system’ on the back of our pack for several years (even before the Covid-19 pandemic)."
pic.twitter.com/XChZYKFuk3— BournvitaIndia (@BournvitaIndia) April 9, 2023
Food Pharmer’s post, which received an overwhelming response with over 12 million views on Instagram and multiple shares on social media, was eventually removed. After allegedly receiving a legal notice, he issued an apology statement, saying, “I have decided to take down the (Bournvita) video after receiving a legal notice from one of India’s biggest law firms on 13 April. I apologise to Cadbury for making the video. I did not plan or intend to infringe any trademark or defame any company nor do I have the interest or resources to participate in any court cases and I request MNCs to not take this forward legally."
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Despite the deletion of the post, the internet was abuzz with discussions and reactions.
First, watch this video,Sharing the full story in the thread below. pic.twitter.com/4RkbeviOMY— RJ - Rishabh Jain (@rishsamjain) April 15, 2023
Dear Cadbury India, nearly every educated person in India was aware about the sugar content of Bournvita. The poor influencer was just reiterating facts. Thanks to the dumb people at your corporate office who decided to sue him, now even the less educated masses will realize dis.— Dr. Ligma Dermatologist 🇮🇳 (@PruritusAnii) April 15, 2023
I believe that #foodpharmer must approach Courts to fight this bullying.If possible, kindly connect me with him. pic.twitter.com/gfhWmldhMe
— Shashank Shekhar Jha (@shashank_ssj) April 15, 2023
What would they do that? It’s addiction that drives the market. They can sell more. As simple as that— Kireeti Bheemavarapu (@KireetiB07) April 15, 2023
Prior to its removal, the post had already captured the interest of several notable figures, including actor-politician Paresh Rawal and former cricketer and MP Kirti Azad, who shared it with their respective followers.
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